Press wheel with sheet metal spokes



Oct. 3, 1967 R. A. BEEBE $344,864:

PRESS WHEEL WITH SHEET METAL SPOKES Filed Feb. 18, 1966 4 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTO/PA/ K9.

Oct. 3, 1967 R, A, BEEBE 3,344,864

PRESS WHEEL WITH SHEET METAL SPOKES Filed Feb. 18, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 O Bx.

INVENTOR.

RA YMO/VD A. 55555 S M alga/QM A TTOP/VEYi United States Patent 3,344,864 PRESS WHEEL WITH SHEET METAL SPOKES Raymond A. Beebe, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Massey-Ferguson Inc., Detroit, Mich. Filed Feb. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 528,611 2 Claims. (Cl. 172538) ABSTRACT OF Tm. DISCLOSURE An agricultural press wheel assembly having two conical annular rim portions, a plurality of V-shaped pieces of sheet metal forming the spokes and being attached to the rim portions, and a hub firmly connected with the apex portion of each of the V-shapcd pieces.

Agricultural planters of the row crop type generally utilize a press wheel to compact the earth after the seed has been deposited in a furrow. A planter may have anywhere from one to eight of these press wheels depending on the number of rows planted at once. These wheels must be sufiiciently strong to carry the considerable weight necessary to compact the soil. Since there are a number of wheels utilized in each planter, any cost saving in material and/or fabrication for an individual wheel will be multiplied by as much as eight times when applied to a complete planter.

Previous press wheels have utilized round spokes or wheel discs or sheet metal spokes in various combinations. These arrangements have been either expensive in material cost, fabrication cost, or do not provide Wheels of sufficient strength for certain applications.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a press wheel assembly having a minimum number of parts that are easily fabricated and easily assembled into a relative high strength unit.

A further object is to provide a press wheel assembly having a pair of rim members supported on an axle by three sheet metal sub-assemblies which in effect form twelve spokes between the rims and axle.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a press wheel according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary section along line 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded, perspective view of the wheel showing the individual six parts of the preferred embodiment.

Referring noW to the drawings, the press wheel structure in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated is indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10. In its preferred form the invention comprises three V-shaped pieces 12 of sheet metal as shown in FIG. 1. It is, of course, possible to employ any suitable plurality of V-shaped pieces.

Each V-shaped piece 12 is made from a strip of sheet metal. The bottom or apex 22 of each V is a rounded or bight portion which is shaped to conform to and to be firmly connected with a cylindrical hub 32 forming the axle means of the press wheel 10.

As FIG. 1 illustrates the two arms 14 of each V- shaped piece 12 form the spokes of the press Wheel 10. The arms or spokes 14 are preferably channel shaped for additional strength. Each spoke or arm 14 has a pair of bent end flange portions 16 at its free end. These bent portions or flanges 16 are inclined toward the center of the free end of each spoke 14 and are preferably inwardly directed. The bent portions 16 of each spoke 14 are separated by a cut-out 18. These cut-outs 18 are necessary in the axial center of a press wheel circumference to provide clearance for the possible mounting of tires and to provide ground clearance.

The bent end portions or flanges 16 of each spoke 14 are secured to two conical annular rim portions 30. As annular sloping of the seed bed is needed, the press wheel has the two rims 30 attached to the bent end portions or flanges 16 with inwardly directed inclination as best shown in FIG. 2. It is obvious that a tire could be mounted on the wheel if required.

FIG. 3 illustrates how just six elements constitute the press wheel assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the invention. The interconnection between the hub 32 and the V-shaped pieces 12 as well as between the bent portions 16 of the pieces 12 and the conical rims 30 can be made by any suitable means like spot welding, riveting, bolts or other fastening means.

The wheel can be easily be assembled by inserting the three sub-assembly members 12 into position within the rims 30 and then inserting the hub 32 to force the members 12 outward against the rims. The flanges 16 can then be welded to the rims 30 and the inner apex portions 22 of the sub-assemblies welded to the hub 32.

I claim:

1. A press wheel assembly comprising a plurality of fabricated spokes, each pair of said spokes being the arms of one substantially V-shaped piece of sheet metal and having inwardly bent attachment projections at the outer ends thereof with each of said arms being channelshaped in cross-section for added spoke strength, a hub firmly attached to the apex portion of each ofs aid V-shaped pieces of sheet metal and holding said V-shaped pieces together in uniformly spaced relationship, and two separate rim portions in spaced side by side relationship having peripheries in the form of truncated cones with the shorter diameter sides facing each other, said rim portions being attached to the inwardly bent attachment projections of the sheet metal spokes, thus forming a clearance intermediate said rim portions.

2. A press wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said V-shaped pieces of sheet metal have centrally located rounded cut-outs at the outer ends thereof, said cut-outs dividing each inwardly bent attachment projection into two separate portions inclined toward the center of the outer end of each spoke.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 787,815 4/1905 Adams 301-66 921,557 5/ 1909 Mussetter. 2,424,704 7/1947 Mueller 30l--52 X BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD J. JOHNSON, Examiner. 

1. A PRESS WHEEL ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF FABRICATED SPOKES, EACH PAIR OF SAID SPOKES BEING THE ARMS OF ONE SUBSTANTIALLY V-SHAPED PIECE OF SHEET METAL AND HAVING INWARDLY BENT ATTACHMENT PROJECTIONS AT THE OUTER ENDS THEREOF WITH EACH OF SAID ARMS BEING CHANNELSHAPED IN CROSS-SECTION FOR ADDED SPOKE STRENGTH, A HUB FIRMLY ATTACHED TO THE APEX PORTION OF EACH OF SAID V-SHAPED PIECES OF SHEET METAL AND HOLDING SAID V-SHAPED PIECES TOGETHER IN UNIFORMLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP, AND TWO SEPARATE RIM PORTIONS IN SPACED SIDE BY SIDE RELATIONSHIP HAVING PERIPHERIES IN THE FORM OF TRUNCATED CONES WITH THE SHORTER DIAMETER SIDES FACING EACH OTHER, SAID RIM PORTIONS BEING ATTACHED TO THE INWARDLY BENT ATTACHMENT PROJECTIONS OF THE SHEET METAL SPOKES, THUS FORMING A CLEARANCE INTERMEDIATE SAID RIM PORTIONS. 